Ganalora
The Elven Kingdom of Ganalora was, for centuries, the most influencial civilization in the Western World. With its glamarous capital Felfelin, Ganalora is a cosmopolitan and awe-inspiring nation. Tucked within the Tyns River Valley, the current territory sits between the Khelbur and Honfaruhm ranges. The borreal forests and massive waterfalls provide a backdrop that perfectly matches the regal culture of the Ganaloran Elves. While the great state has fallen from its former glory, it still retains significant influence over the Western World, and is in many ways more influencial than the former region superpower, Shallenor. Etemology The name Ganalora comes from the God Ganalor, Patriarch of the Ganaloran Elven Pantheon. History Founding and Early History The founding of Ganalora is the result of disgruntled nobility, religious divergence, and intra-council conflicts in Shallenor. In the Ancient Days, a group of disgruntled Elves, led by the Reyberos House, left the Elven homeland in Shallenor to explore the continent to the east. Representing 25 Houses, the elves represented a significant portion of the Shallenor population. The elves left in search of greater freedom, including the ability to worship the Ganaloran Eleven Pantheon (GEP). For decades the elves explored the fertile valley until founding their first city on the mainland. The founding of Felfelin by Onas Reyberos marked the beginning of the Reyberos Era (1RE) and the official start of the Elven Kingdom of Ganalora. Much of the Reyberos Era is shrouded in mystery, and it is difficult to seperate truth from legend, however some facts are known for sure. The Ganaloran Elves would spread throughout the Western World for the next three centuries, but outside of Felfelin the elves were relatively nomadic. This was in part due to the Elves' inability to survive for long periods of time in the frigid Northern Realms, or in the more intense heat of the Fields of Crucym. This nomadic culture was lost in 358RE with the establishment of Mirador Citadel. Just east of Felfelin, the Citadel was the most grandiose structure the Elves had ever constructed. While serving as a strong fortress, the Citadel would also serve as the capital until the Reyberos Era, and a place for worship of the extensive Ganaloran Elven Pantheon. The Citadel provided Onas Reyberos with the legitimacy he needed to declare himself High Lord, and establish a council of close friends and relatives in the newly formed Council of Crowns. This council only included representatives from the Reyberos, Daxidor, and Valvalur houses. Daxidor and Valvalur had close ties to the Reyberos House through marriages and friendships. Before this, the noble families mostly acted independently, and those left out of the Council of Crowns began plans to remove Onas from power. In 459RE, the assassination of Onas Reyberos ended the Reyberos Era. The Orsilian Rule Despite the strong growth of Elven influence on the continent under Reyberos rule, secretly many of the noble families that left Shallenor began to feel like Onas was taking too much power. Some even thought about returning to their homeland, but the Golden Conclave declared that those who left could never return. Fearing that the Reyberos House would take too much power, leaders of prominent Eleven houses began to conspire as to how they could redistribute power amongst the houses. In secret, the houses of Farhice, Admyar, Liaora, Cranala, and Wysadi established the Orsilian Congregation, named after the GEP God of Justice, Orsil. On the Night of Screams, members of the Orsilian Congregation led a covert attack on Mirador Citadel. Through the significant bribery of guards and the skill of their assassins, members of the Orsilian Council successfully assassinated every member of the Council, along with the entirety of the Reyberos and Valvalur Houses. While many of the Daxidor House were successfully assassinated, a rogue member of the Liaora House, in love with a Daxidor, warned the family before the assassinations, and many were able to escape in what became known simply as "The Daxidor Incident." In response, the Orsilian Congregation publically executed the entirety of House Liaora. Within a few days, the Houses of Reyberos, Valvalur, and Liaora were destroyed, and the Orsilian Council gained complete control of Ganalora. Thus began the Orsilian Era. The Orsilian Congregation was extremely effective in quelling public fear and outrage over the Night of Screams. Immediately, the Orsilian Congregation announced its new government would include one representative from all 21 remaining Noble Houses of Ganalora. The Congregation convened to determine the High Lord, and a unanimous vote declared that Althidon Farhice, considered to be the main orchestrator of the Night of Screams, would lead Ganalora. The Congregation determined that the High Lord would serve for terms of 150 years, or until his death. Farhice Rule The 70 years under Althidon Farhice was a period of relative calm in the realm. Althidon was no fool, and knew that the Ganaloran Elves were somewhat uneasy about the death of their almost legendary leader. As such, Althidon made no changes to laws regarding taxation, conscription, or religion. In order to distance himself from the era of Reyberos rule, Althidon Farhice chose to return the capital to Felfelin. As such, the Citadel became less of an administrative city and more of a city of piety and culture. The most major accomplishment of the Farhice rule was the establishment of the Felfelin University, which was started as a school for prospective priests and scientists. The Farhice family, in return, was granted the honorary title of High Lord of the University, however, in practice this position was largely ceremonial, and the de facto leadership of the university was granted to the High Priest of Polius. The Farhice rule came to an end in 150OE. Althidon refusal to accept a second term would serve as a model for future High Lords. While his rule was uneventful, the Althidon Farhice is generally viewed favorably by history. Keldi Rule The election of Myriil Keldi to High Lord was a strange and unexpected result. As founding members of the Orsilian Council, and extremely influencial families, the Wysadi and Admyar representatives expected to be the next High Lords of Ganalora. To their shock, Myriil Keldi was able to consolidate support from less influencial Noble Houses of Ganalora and gain the required votes to win. Myriil Keldi was concerned with the expansion of lowborn populations and emergence of new Lesser Houses. The influence of these groups within Felfelin was growing, and more and more elves were choosing to live in the city or citadel rather than wander the valley. Seeing oppurtunity for resources from the Tyns River and the coast, Myriil Keldi ordered the construction of a new city at the mouth of the Tyns. The City of Kathlion was established officially in 238OE. For the rest of his rule, Myriil Keldi would focus on the development and planning of Kathlion, viewing it as his chief acomplishment. In his final years as High Lord, Myriil Keldi ordered the contruction of Keldi Keep, which, despite its name, would hold the wealth for the office of the High Lord. Just north of the Citadel, Keldi Keep still stands today and holds riches beyond the imaginations of any mortal. Luthana Rule Galan Luthana, a close friend of Myriil Keldi, was chosen as the next High Lord of Ganalora in 300OE. Uninterested in continuing the micromanagement of Kathlion, Galan Luthana appointed Myriil Keldi as the Lord of Kathlion. This marked the first time the Congregation would delegate power outside of their centralized council. Many members of the council viewed this as an attempt to diminish the power of the Congregation. In order to reach compromise, Galan Luthana proposed The Law of Delegation, which stated that a lesser Congregation be established in Kathlion, with each Noble House present in the city granted a seat on the council. The Lord of Kathlion would also serve a term of life. This model would be followed for any cities established in the future. Because the Kathlion Congregation was only populated by Noble Houses in Kathlion, the elven houses rushed to send family members to the city to gain a seat on the Congregation, and by 348OE every Noble House had some form of representation on the Kathlion Congregation. With the issue of delegation solved, Galan Luthana began looking for more ways to spread Ganaloran culture. In 389OE he decreed that a tower be constructed at the intersect of the Tyns and Vitris rivers. The tower would be dedicated to Firulla, and serve as a research point for wizards and mages. The devotion to Firualla by the magic loving elves of Ganalora gained Galan Luthana extensive support. At the eve of his rule the long-forgotten Daxidor Incident would return to haunt the Ganaloran Elves. In 443OE, a large group of unfamiliar creatures appeared outside of Felfelin. From their ranks emerged Nopos L'daxidor, the lover who orchestrated the Daxidor Incident, and he requested an audience with the High Lord. Through this audience, High Lord Galan Luthana learned that a race of Dwarves lived in the Khelbur Range to the north. When the Daxidor House fled, they were ambushed by the Dwarves, and all but Nopos L'daxidor were killed. Upon discovering that he was not violent, the Dwarves took him in, and brought him to their grand fortress, Nal Faldihr. Unfortunately, the Dwarves eventually succumbed to an attack by the Orcs that emerged from deep within the mountains. Only a small group of them survived, and traveled to Felfelin in search of refuge. Despite the reluctance of Wysadi and Admyar Houses, Galan Luthana allowed the Dwarves to enter the city. The Dwarves, along with their culture, Gods, and traditions, brought the terrifying news of hideous creatures with their sights set on the Tyns River Valley. In response to the threat, Galan Luthana requested an extension to his term. Despite the protest of Wysadi and Admyar, Galan Luthana was granted the title of High Lord indefinetly, with the understanding that he would relinquish the title when the situation was reasonably resolved. Galan Luthana ordered the construction of Fort Milomelle. The superior construction ability of the Dwarves, matched with the magical superiority of the elves meant that the fort was successfully completed in 498OE, a feat that would have taken the elves alone centuries. Though many viewed the construction of the fort as a sign that Galan Luthana's reign should come to an end, he assured the population that the goals of his extended rule were far from complete. Despite this, Galan Luthana's next plans were the construction of elaborate statues and parks. Frustrated with his power lust, the Wysadi and Admyar Houses orcherstrated the assassination of Galan Luthana, and his extended rule came to a swift end in 517OE. Wysadi and Admyar Rule As had become a Ganaloran formality, the entirety of the Luthana House was rounded up and executed. However, when the Congregation convened to determine a new High Lord, Arlen Wysadi declared himself High Lord. He claimed that because Wysadi and Admyar houses orchestrated the end of oppressive rule, and Arlen Wysadi was married to a daughter of house Admyar, he was the natural choice for the position. While the Admyar House was in favor of this move, they privately searched for ways to benefit from the situation. Meanwhile, Arlen Wysadi began enacting change without the consent of the Congregation, including expanding conscription and raising taxes to support a growing army. The overreach of rule was formalized in 531OE when Arlen Wysadi ordered the dissolution of the Orsilian Congregation. Morthil Admyar, the leader of Admyar House had been searching for ways to regain control, and viewed the overthrow of Wysadi as the perfect way to legitimize Admyar rule. In 538OE, Admyar House led to assassination of every Wysadi House member. This would include Morthil Admyar's daughter, who was the wife of Arlen Wysadi. While the Noble Houses celebrated the end of oppressive Wysadi Rule, Morthil Admyar declared himself the "interim ruler" of Ganalora. His failure to reconvene the council led to staunch opposition to his rule, and another round of assassinations would cut short Admyar Rule and wipe the family from the continent. Ravaqen Rule The main architect of the assassination of the Admyar House was Ilphas Cairis. While many on the Orsilian Council viewed him as the obvious choice for High Lord, Ilphas Cairis realized that this could set a precedent to encourage assassination of the ruling house to gain legitimacy. Ilphas Cairis rejected the nomination for High Lord, and instead threw his support behind Vander Ravaqen, who was completely uninvolved with any of the assassination plots. The Ravaqen House was generally viewed as a minor house, but Vander Ravaqen graciously accepted the nomination and won the election for High Lord in 540OE. In a first for High Lord, Vander Ravaqen chose to give a speech to the general population in Felfelin. In his speech, he announced that his rule would focus on the mending of wounds caused by the shifting powers in Ganalora. He also stated his satisfaction that the Admyar and Wysadi Houses no longer held power in the Congregation, and called them a cancer, the removal of which was necessary for the continuation of peace in Ganalora. With their extinction, all houses involved in the Night of Screams were extinct except Cranala House. The first act of Vander Ravaqen was to introduce eight Lesser Houses to the Congregation. While some houses disputed this move, all acknowledged that it was necessary to accomidate the rift between the ruling classes and the Lesser Houses and Lowborns. Additionally, Vander Ravaqen ordered the construction of a new city near the Honfaruhm Mountains. In recognition of his significance, Vander Ravaqen declared Ilphas Cairis Lord of the new city, and named the city Cairis Landing in his honor. With minimal fanfare, Vander Ravaqen's rule came to and end in 690OE. Periods of Peace Most Ganaloran Historians group the next 900 years under the name "The Periods of Peace." This is due to the fact that few major events occured during this time, and power was generally transfered peacefully. 690OE saw the election of Aiduin Dafiel. He would add three more houses to the Congregation. Additionally, he encouraged the establishment of mining camps to employ the dwarves in the Honfaruhm mountains. Though the land was unfamiliar to the Dwarves, the excelled at their jobs. In 840OE Erglareo Umetris was elected. The Umetris House was one added to the Noble Houses under Vander Ravaqen, and such was the first time a house outside of the original Noble Houses was elected to High Lord. The year 990OE would see the election of Methild Keajor, who chose to expand the rights of women by allowing them to serve in the military and as court advisors. In 1140 OE Hamon Keldi was elected to the position of High Lord. This marked the first time a family would be elected to High Lord twice. Though some were weary about the Keldi House gaining too much power, Hamon Keldi led a safe administration. His only notable changes in policy were the decreases in taxes on farmers. 1290 OE saw the election of Vulred Aranelis, whose most notable policy was the addition of seventeen more families to the Orsilian Congregation. In 1440 OE Halueve Fajeon, representing a newly included house, was elected as High Lord. Seeing the need for expansion of the realm, Halueve Fajeon ordered the construction of a new settlement, Mur Ladur. The Dwarvish name was no mistake, Halueve Fajeon allowed Dwarves who moved there to enjoy 100 years without taxation. The city became a hub of Dwarven culture, and various mines appeared around the town. With the end of Fajeon Rule in 1590 OE, the Periods of Peace too came to an end. The Crenian Era The Crenian Era, also known as the Age of Man, forced the Ganaloran Elves to look beyond their precious river valley, and marked the beginning of continental conflict Glyndi Rule and the Discovery of Man Jharak Glyndi was elected to the position of High Lord of Ganalora in 1CE (at the time his term was declared to start in 1590 OE, but the Reallocation of Eras in 84CE placed his election at 1CE). Jharak Glyndi was the youngest ever elected to the position of High Lord, just 180 years old. In 44CE, Ganalora was forever changed when representatives of the Crenian Kingdom were discovered in Mur Ladur. The men came from a human kingdom beyond the Honfaruhm Mountains. The men's ancestral homeland was Ecrana, but the Tyns Valley was difficult to get to so they settled the Crenian River Valley and Fields of Crucym. In fact, the humans had communication with Shallenor as far back as 400OE, but at the request of the Golden Conclave chose not to engage the elves. However, many aspects of Ganaloran culture seeped into the Kingdoms of Man. For example, the GEP was the main religion followed by men in the Crenian Kingdom and beyond. Additionally, the Elvish language was taught to the Crenian people, but the Elves were unable to understand the common tongue. The decision to end the centuries of silence came from the King of Crenia, Olar IV, as he wished to colonize the Northern Realms and saw the Ganaloran Elves as potential allies in that endevour. The Orcs all but controlled the frozen wastelands of the Northern Realms, but the mountains there were home to mines rich with gemstones and gold, and fishing regions ripe with resources. After establishing trade routes, sharing military technology, and generally gaining an understanding of the cultures of each other, the Crenian Kingdom and Ganalora signed a formal treaty, and agreed to fight the orcs together. Despite repeated pleas, the Aradonan Kingdom refused to join the war. Ganalora gave the Crenian armies access to their land and in 59CE the Orcish Wars officially began. The Orcish War The invasion of the Northern realms was swift and decisive. Though the orcs had been keeping tabs on the elves for centuries, they did not expect the combined forces with the Crenian Kingdom. The armies of elves and man were able to easily overwhelm the Orcish forces, and in 65CE Nal Faldihr was retaken and the orcish race was decentralized. Today, tribes of orcs travel throughout the Western World without any land to call their own. Following the Orcish War, the Crenian Kingdom sent hundreds of men into the Northern Realms to colonize the coast. The dwarves were given back their fortress, but many chose to stay in Ganalora. The Elvish Wars Olar IV died in 67CE without a son. As such, his nephew Aradonus II was granted the thrown. His first act as king was to appoint his cousin Leo as the administrator of the Northern Realms. However, Aradonous was much more ambitious than his uncle, and believed that man had a universal right to the entire continent. With his armies still permitted access in Ganalora, Aradonous II ordered his armies to turn on the elvish allies. What followed was a five year period of the bloodiest conflict the Western World had ever seen. Numerous complications arose from Aradonous's orders. First of all, many humans had married into elven families, and refused to turn on the Ganalorans. Additionally, the elves retained the support of the Dwarves, who were skilled in battle. Another result of the Orcish Wars was the birth of numerous half-orcs. Though most were only children, they were an issue to be addressed, and Aradonous ordered that they all be killed. Luckily for them, the elves agreed to protect them. Likewise, many elves, dwarves, half elves, and half orcs were now living in the Crenian Kingdom. Araonous ordered that they all be banished from the realm, and most fled to Caalthenar. Furthermore, Leo appeared to be less loyal than Aradonous had believed, and cut ties with the Crenian Kingdom and declared himself King Leo I of the Northern Realms. Despite all of these issues, the Crenian armies successfully sacked Felfelin in 74CE. With his armies battered and tired, Aradonous called off the assault and recalled his troops. A formal ceasefire was signed in 77CE, but Ganalora was severely damaged. Current Situation